Scale Up Visa

The Scale Up Visa is one of the replacements to the old Tier 1 (Investor) Visa. It allows people to come to the UK to help expanding British businesses.

The visa will be available to those people who have a job offer from an eligible business (a scale up) for a high-skilled position and a salary of at least £33,000 per year.

People who want the visa will also need to pass an English language test.

Scale up businesses are business that have expanded at a rate of 20% or more per year either in terms of revenue or employee count in the last 3 years and is still growing. They have to have a minimum of 10 employees to start with to be eligible. Essentially, scale up businesses are fast growing.

Part of the draws to the Scale Up visa are that those who qualify can apply through an expedited verification process if they can show:

That over a 3 year period, the company will have an annual revenue or employment growth rate of 20%
That at the beginning of this period, the company has a minimum of 10 employees

The government may also consider whether scale-ups who can demonstrate significant expansion in the coming years could qualify for funding.

The requirements for individuals who want to apply for this visa are that they have

A confirmed job offer for an approved scale-up business for at least 6 months;
A certificate of sponsorship from the employer;
A job offer to do a job on the list of eligible occupations
A minimum salary in the new job

It will also be necessary to prove you meet the English language requirements when applying.

The Scale Up visa is a route to settlement meaning after 5 years you could apply for ILR and subsequently British nationality. You are also able to bring your dependents with you, if they are eligible.

A scale up visa is similar to a skilled worker visa – however scale up visas are available to workers from any sector – whereas skilled worker visas are prioritized for jobs that the UK economy requires.

The scale up visa is part of the government’s post-Brexit plans to attract only the top talent to the UK. If you think you might qualify, contact us for more information.

How Imperium Chambers can help

At Imperium Chambers, our team of expert immigration barristers will be with you through every step of your Scale Up visa application.

We’ll start by assessing your suitability and checking you satisfy the general eligibility requirements of the Immigration Rules for the Scale Up visa, and then advise you on the appropriateness of your job offer before introducing you to Home Office approved endorsing bodies. We’ll take you through every step of the process, ensuring everything is technically accurate and professionally presented, with the best possible chance of being approved the first time.